Tag: Andrew Suarez

For one, it carries farther – 20 extra feet on a fly ball, according to studies. It takes bite off sliders and curves. It makes fastballs straighter. It also cuts into their practice time.

“We used to have to put pitchers all around the fence during batting practice to get the balls,” UM coach Jim Morris said. “Last year we didn’t bother. This year during BP we hit more out in one day than we did all of last year.”

In response to offensive numbers that were creeping toward the “Gorilla Ball” years of the late 1990s, college baseball introduced the deadened BBCOR bat in 2011. But corrective action was needed after a sharp decline in the last few seasons. In 2014, teams homered less than once every two games (0.39), the lowest number in NCAA records dating back to 1970. The new ball has flattened seams, lowered from .048 inches to .031, and produces less wind resistance.

Expect less bunting and more bashing this spring.

Especially if you visit Mark Light Field.

The Hurricanes, who hosted an NCAA regional last year but did not advance after suffering a power outage, have a lineup that could slug them all the way to Omaha.

UM, which begins the season Friday against Rutgers (7 p.m.), finished 44-19 last year and won the regular-season ACC championship, but lost in the Coral Gables regional to Texas Tech. The Hurricanes haven’t been to the College World Series since 2008, something that is constantly on the mind of returning players like standout catcher Zack Collins.

“We talk about it all the time,” said Collins, who like all UM players, sees the word “Omaha” printed inside his cleats before he puts them on. “If you’re not talking about your goals, you’re not into your goals.”

Collins, who shook off a 1-for-27 start to end his freshman season with 11 homers, earned preseason All-American honors. He and ace left-hander Andrew Suarez were among 50 players named to the watch list for Major League Baseball’s Golden Spikes Award, recognizing the top amateur player.

He has had no issues adjusting to the ball, saying warning-track fly balls are “definitely over the fence now.” Hitting coach Gino DiMare half-jokingly asserted that Collins could hit 50 homers with a steady wind at his back.

He’ll get help from junior first baseman David Thompson, who is fully healthy after missing 32 games with venous thoracic outlet syndrome and having offseason surgery on his non-throwing elbow. Highly regarded sophomore right fielder Willie Abreu, who hit just one homer in his debut season, has shown plenty of pop in offseason games.

“It’s not as bad as the bats were,” Abreu said of the ball. “When the bats changed, it was a tremendous difference. But the balls are making a difference. They do bounce better than they did last year.”

Aside from Collins and Abreu, the only other returning player who homered last year was catcher Garrett Kennedy (2) and reserve infielder Sebastian Diaz (1). Expect junior college transfer George Iskenderian, a third baseman who started his career at South Carolina, to crack that list sooner than later.

Though it loses center fielder Dale Carey, UM is excited about its new leadoff man. Freshman Carl Chester, a left fielder, was widely considered the fastest high school player in last year’s draft. Another speedster, center fielder Ricky Eusebio, will hit second. UM’s depth will get a boost from Royal Palm Beach alum Chris Barr, a fleet-footed first baseman who redshirted last year with a shoulder injury.

Last year, the Hurricanes’ team ERA was 2.94, second-best in the ACC. That will likely rise this year with the departure of veterans Bryan Radziewski, Chris Diaz and Javi Salas. UM will be in good hands on Fridays, however. Suarez turned down a signing bonus of more than $500,000 from Washington, who drafted him in the second round (57th overall). Suarez (6-3, 2.95 ERA) was the highest draftee to return to school.

“It’s hard to improve on 15 walks in 109 innings,” pitching coach J.D. Arteaga said. “He’s as ready for the next level as anyone I’ve had.”

Looking for consistency behind him, UM moved lefty relievers Thomas Woodrey and Danny Garcia into the rotation. Woodrey (4-0, 2.54) will start the first game of UM’s Saturday doubleheader (junior Enrique Sosa will toss the nightcap) and Garcia will pitch Sunday. That means outside of sidewinder Cooper Hammond and freshman All-America closer Bryan Garcia (7-4, 1.75, 15 saves), UM’s bullpen is in flux.

Arteaga said his pitchers haven’t stewed over the new ball – yet.

“Pitchers have no complaints about it until it travels 400 feet,” he said.

1. It’s the day every college baseball team fears. The MLB Draft begins tonight at 7, meaning the nation’s top college juniors and high school players will soon have choices to make. The Hurricanes had excellent luck with the draft last year, when pitchers BryanRadziewski and JaviSalas decided to return and high school draft picks ZackCollins and WillieAbreu opted to come to Coral Gables. They were major contributors to a team that had a strong year (albeit a disappointing finish).

This year, there’s a good chance the entire rotation will turn pro. Junior ace ChrisDiaz, redshirt sophomore AndrewSuarez, and seniors Radziewski and Salas are all draft-eligible. Speedy prep outfielder CarlChester might go in the first three rounds. Check my MLB Draft preview story here.

Virtual Duke Johnson runs for a touchdown in a simulated game against FAU. (YouTube.com/Forgeron902)

2. The NCAA reacted to the EA sports settlement Wednesday evening in an email from its communications office to reporters.

Last weekend, a $40 million agreement was reached that will pay college football and basketball players from 2003-onward for the use of their likenesses in NCAA-branded videogames like the NCAA Football series and NCAA March Madness, which have since been discontinued amid the legal dispute.

It means checks are due to former college football and basketball players, though it is uncertain who will receive them and when. The NCAA’s reaction:

“First, under no circumstances will we allow the proposed agreement between EA and plaintiff’s lawyers to negatively impact the eligibility of any student-athlete…not one will miss a practice or a game if this settlement is approved by the court,” the email said. “This proposed settlement does not equate to payment of current student-athletes for their athletic performance, regardless of how it is being publicly characterized.”

“Second, the real benefactors of this settlement are the lawyers, who could pocket more than $15 million.”

Lastly, the email said:

“We have not yet determined whether to formally object to any of the settlement terms.”

3. Football recruiting is always fluid. That in mind: Four-star running back Dexter Williams, the highest-ranked verbal commitment on UM’s board, said on his Twitter pagehe’ll take a lot of visits this summer, among them Georgia Tech, Louisville, Kentucky, Ohio State, Cincinnati, Tennessee, South Carolina and Clemson. Williams, who knocked out of his team’s spring game with an ankle injury, committed to Miami at its spring game, April 12.

Williams said his pledge to UM is “80” percent solid, according to 247Sports.com. Tennessee and Southern Cal are the other contenders.

There’s some great news for UM, though: four-star Tampa-Freedom defensive end Scott Patchan, a Hurricane legacy who also committed at the spring game, told 247Sportshe wants to be “as much of a leader as possible by recruiting for my class.” Patchan (6-5, 240) said he tells fellow recruits how “excited I am about my choice and how they can’t go wrong with Miami.”

The next signing day is Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2015. Here’s a look at the Canes football recruiting database:

4. No more signing day? That’s the thought of Nebraska coach Bo Pelini, who believeshigh school players should be able to sign with a college as soon as a scholarship offer is extended. Pelini said that would clean up some of the recruiting scene, which currently sees college coaches extend players offers they have no intention of honoring, and players committing and de-committing (and in one memorable case, committing, getting a tattoo of that school’s logo and then de-committing).

Pelini said he also believes recruits should be allowed to be released from their letters of intent if their school’s coach leaves.

5. There is also a basketball game tonight, in case you haven’t heard. Will James Jones get off the bench? The former Cane (Class of 2003) played a total of five minutes, 13 seconds in the Eastern Conference Finals, but if the Heat are lacking three-point shooting all of a sudden, Jones can provide that.

Of the 10 ex-Canes who have played in the NBA, Jones has had the third-longest career, behind Hall of Famer Rick Barry and veteran swingman John Salmons, who finished up last season with Toronto. Because there’s always a 561 connection: did you know he once blocked 16 shots in a game against Palm Beach Lakes?

On the eve of another baseball postseason, the Hurricanes received some regular-season honors.

Catcher Zack Collins was named ACC freshman of the rear and left-hander Chris Diaz co-pitcher of the year. They were two of seven Canes honored by the conference.

Chris Diaz was named ACC co-pitcher of the year. (Miami Herald)

Collins shook off his 1-for-27 start to finish at .285/.404/.520, with eight homers, 46 RBI and three triples. He was second in homers (tied) and slugging percentage and fourth in RBI.

Diaz, who shared co-pitcher honors with Virginia’s Nathan Kirby, was UM’s only first-team representative. The junior went a league-best 9-0 with a 2.32 ERA, striking out 78 batters and walking 33 in 89.1 innings.

Carey, who batted .192 in last year’s draft-eligible junior year, raised that to .295/.391/.452 as a senior. He led UM with 98 total bases, hit six homers and knocked in 27 runs, and stole 14 bases in 22 attempts. He was the only regular not to commit an error and made plays like thisgame-saving diving catch against Virginia.

Radziewski (7-2, 3.14, 96 strikeouts, 43 walks in 86 innings) finished third in the ACC in strikeouts, with a league-high 33 struck out looking. Other measures of his toughness to hit: he tied for the league lead in sacrifice bunts allowed (11) and was fourth in strikeouts per game (10.05). He also tied for the lead in pickoffs (7).

Garcia (5-3, 1.61) was second in saves (15) and finished a league-best 27 games.

UM’s seven all-ACC selections tied Clemson for the most in the conference.

Brian O’Connor (Virginia) won coach of the year. Player of the year went to Florida State’s D.J. Stewart. North Carolina State shortstop Trea Turner, a Park Vista High alum, was a first-team selection.

BA also ranked No. 4 Florida State (41-14, 21-9 ACC) and No. 7 Florida (37-19, 21-9 SEC). The NCAA’s RPI ranks the Gators at No. 2 and the Seminoles at No. 3, while UM is 12th.

Football: UM center ShaneMcDermott was named to the Rimington Trophy watch list. McDermott, a senior from Palm Beach Central High, was one of 64 Division I players named. The award is presented to the top center in college football.

McDermott, who missed spring football after undergoing foot surgery, was also on the watch list before last season. He was a third-team All-ACC selection in 2013, when he started 11 games, missing two due to injury.